When does the home inspector invoke the dreaded Structural Engineer?

In my career as a home inspector, I have probably only had to recommend a Structural Engineer about six times. So it doesn’t happen very often.

In fact, when a home inspector says that a Structural Engineer is needed, it is typically the death nell for the transaction.

As home inspectors, one of the things that is expected is that we have a good bedside manner, and that we do not act in an alarming way toward the clients.

However, when you need to recommend a Structural Engineer, all that pretense pretty much goes right out the window. After all, you are saying that there is something so wrong with the structure, that it needs an opinion from an engineer.

That is typically the end of the transaction.

Only once or twice have my clients actually hire a structural engineer to look at the structure, and it’s usually the same conclusion. They typically agree with the home inspectors evaluation that the structure is deficient in some way.

On a few occasions, I’ve called for a structural engineer, only to find out from the listing agent that a structural engineer was already on the site the previous day or a few days before. So clearly in those instances, I wasn’t the only one that was concerned with something about the structure

So the bottom line is, if a home inspector says you need a Structural Engineer, there’s something pretty wrong with the house / structure. Home Inspectors don’t typically call out the need for a Structural Engineer unless it’s a huge issue.

Either way, get a home inspection! It’s piece of mind.

Mike McCarty
First Choice Home & Commercial Inspection Services

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